I had my first troublesome encounter with my car last night, after 13 months and only 11,000 miles. My friend and I drove 10 miles to a restaurant last evening. We both got out, closed our doors, and I tried to lock the car using the button on the driver's door handle. I got no response at all. Completely silent. I pushed several times before I removed my smart key from my pocket and pushed its lock button. Nothing from it, either. I tried several more times, the lock button and the unlock button. Nothing. Finally, I opened my door, got back in, and tried to start the car. That's when I saw the "key not detected" message in the center display area (I don't have NAV). I was able to hold the key against the POWER button and start the car. I turned it back off, got out, and locked the car from the driver's door button. After eating, I could not unlock the doors from either the door button or the remote. I even tried the truck and panic buttons. After perhaps two minutes of this, it finally unlocked. When I returned home, I tried again several times, but I could not duplicate the bad behavior. This morning, it worked fine.

I suppose it could be as simple as a battery problem in the smart key, but I'm still planning to take it to the dealer for a checkup. I wish I had thought to look for the little LED on the remote to see if it was lighting.

B. Goodman

When it finally unlocked, was it by touching the handle, pressing the button on the remote, or using the mechanical key? Just curious.

--My hybrid came home!--
Ottawa owners check in here

Randy

Go back to the same resturant and park in the same spot and try again. We have a spot here at the Chiro's office in which the West side parking lot only 2 out of 10 remotes work (smart keys or otherwise) I think it is a security alarm problem inside the building but may be wrong. moral of the story never leave home with out the ley inside the fob.

TCH-43mpg
VW TDI--48
08 LS 600 HL-20
08 LX 470-16

It wasn't with the manual key, but I was so flustered with the situation that I'm not 100% certain between the smart key and the door handle. I do think it was the smart key, finally.

B. Goodman

This is VERY interesting information. I wonder if other people have ever had this problem? I read this board very actively, but I don't recall having read of this before. Thanks!

B. Goodman

Check out this thread:
http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/s...ight=smart+key

--My hybrid came home!--
Ottawa owners check in here

Randy

Thanks for the link. I guess I either missed that originally or forgot it because it hadn't (yet) happened to me!

B. Goodman

Yeah, I have two places that I frequently go (_the_ 2 places really) in town which often cause me this problem. It really freaked me out the first time, too, and I think I ended up resorting to the physical key and had to read the manual to figure out to put the fob by the ignition button in order to get it to recognize the key. These days it happens enough in these two spots that it doesn't bother me as much (though it's still a pain). Usually manage to take care of locking/unlocking with assorted movement of the fob and hitting the button on the car while trying to get it into the proper zone on the side of the car.

But I think both of those spots are near enough to radio stations that I've been assuming all this time that they're causing my problems.